When it comes to motor vehicles, it is often necessary to join a part to a window pane of a vehicle. For instance, at the lower edge of a windshield, there is normally a water trough or a water trough cover that is designed to collect and laterally drain water that runs off the windshield. In order to secure such a water trough cover to the windshield and seal it, a molding element is normally used which is joined to the vehicle windshield at the edge and which has a latching groove that detachably holds the water trough cover. The water trough cover is provided with a rib that is positively and/or non-positively held by the latching groove, so that if necessary, the cover can be removed and put back in place repeatedly.
Several embodiments of such molding elements are disclosed, for example, in German patent application DE 199 61 706 A1, in German utility models DE 200 08 555 U1, DE 20 2008 006 986U1 or DE 20 2008 016 217U1.
Such molding elements can also be used in rear windows, for example, if a water trough or a water drain is provided at the lower edge of the rear window. It is likewise conceivable to use them in conjunction with car body parts such as, for example, door frames, window frames, trim strips or covers that have to be joined to firmly installed side windows.
These molding elements, which are typically produced by means of extrusion, are elongated molding strips having a lengthwise extension and a cross section that is perpendicular thereto and that is adapted to the window pane contour in question. Prior to being mounted on or bonded to the windshield, these molding elements have to be bent in order to be adapted to the specific contour of the edge of the window pane. In this process, the latching grooves, which have relatively narrow tolerance requirements, can become deformed to such an extent that joining the water trough cover is very difficult or even impossible. The same risk exists when a molding element is mounted on the window pane, especially if a U-shaped molding element has to be pressed onto the edge of the window pane.
Another factor is that each molding element is usually joined to the lower edge of the window pane before the window is installed in the vehicle, and also that, due to their brittleness, the window panes are normally transported while standing on their lower edge. The weight alone of the vehicle window panes makes it virtually impossible to prevent deformations inside the molding elements, thus causing problems later on when the water trough cover is latched into the latching groove.
Another drawback of the prior-art molding elements is that they can easily get dirty when the window panes are being transported or stored if dirt particles accumulate in the latching groove. These particles can also hinder the latching of the water trough cover, which time and again gives rise to delays and problems during the installation.
In order to remedy this, so-called keder rails are used which are temporarily inserted with a core section into the latching groove or into the latching recess of the molding element. As a result, the molding element is protected during the manufacture, further processing or finishing and/or during transportation of the vehicle window panes, and the relatively fragile latching groove can neither be deformed nor get dirty.
Known embodiments of such keder rails are disclosed, for example, in international patent application WO 2006 002 891 A2, German patent application DE 10 2006 038 013 A1, French application FR 2 945 521 A1 or U.S. Pat. No. 7,870,958 B1.
A disadvantage here is that, for every molding element, a separate keder rail or protective rail has to be produced, inserted into the molding element before the molding element is mounted on the vehicle window pane, and subsequently removed again before the adjoining part is installed in the vehicle. All of this causes extra logistical work and entails additional costs. Moreover, the removed keder rails or protective rails have to be disposed of at considerable cost since they cannot be recycled.
Furthermore, the keder rails are often difficult to remove from the latching grooves or latching recesses because the molding elements are bent along the edge of the window pane and because usually an undercut is created for the rib of the water trough cover. As a result, the core section is latched or clamped inside the keder rail, and consequently, a great deal of force and time are needed to remove the likewise bent keder rail from the molding element. Moreover, the molding element can be damaged when the keder rail is removed, especially if unsuitable tools such as screwdrivers or pliers are employed. This also gives rise to additional expenditures in terms of time and money.